Amad is expected to be handed the chance to impress Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag this summer - but Tony Mowbray has not given up hope of bringing him back to Sunderland next season. The Ivory Coast international has spent the season on loan with the Black Cats and has been a huge hit in the Championship, helping the club mount a play-off challenge which will come to a head on Monday when they secure a top-six finish on the final day of the season if they win at Preston and other results go their way.
But if Sunderland miss out on the play-offs, the trip to Deepdale could be Amad's last outing for the club because he will go back to Old Trafford at the end of the season is due to go on Manchester United's pre-season tour of America where ten Hag will get the chance to assess him first-hand. He could decide to keep him and use him next season, or allow him out on loan again.
Mowbray would be keen to bring Amad back to Sunderland next season regardless of which division they are competing in but there are no guarantees, although the subject was discussed when Manchester United's loan manager Les Parry visited the Academy of Light this week. "I think Man United are happy [with his loan at Sunderland], but I think the next step is for them to take him on pre-season to America," said Mowbray.
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"That’s what I think is going to happen. Then they’ll see how he gets on.
"They know what they've got, they bought him, but I think when the new manager [ten Hag] came in, it was right on the cusp of whether they were going to keep him or not. He liked some of the stuff, but then he maybe wasn't sure about other things.
"I'm sure he’s been watching Amad's clips from games, just as I watch all of our players who are out on loan, and seeing what he can do. But he'll need to see him on a daily basis and feel what he brings.
"I'm sure everyone will have an opinion on whether he's good enough or not good enough for Man United, but the reality is that the manager needs to watch him, see and feel him in a game, and see what he brings. The loan manager from Manchester United was in this week and we had a good chat - I was saying it's a shame we didn't do a two-year loan!"
Sunderland have their own decision to make over whether to sign Edouard Michut, although the Frenchman will also want a say in his future. Paris St Germain midfielder Michut has spent the season on loan with the Black Cats, and the agreement reportedly included a £2.5m figure plus add-ons to make the transfer permanent.
But the deal will only go ahead if Sunderland decide the 20-year-old justifies the pricetag, and if Michut himself is happy to move to the Stadium of Light. The France U20 international has played in 23 of Sunderland's 45 games so far, with 12 of those appearances coming as starts.
Mowbray said: "Edouard is a young footballer who has shown what a talent he is and what an exceptionally good footballer he is. He's a young guy who's been thrust into a different country, a different squad, and the positive for him has been that we've had some French-speaking lads around him.
"As I sit here, we ultimately haven't made the decision [on whether to sign him permanently]. We want to get the season finished and see how it goes, and then it's a two-way conversation.
"Edouard has to decide whether he's enjoyed it enough, whether he's had enough gametime and whether the way we play suits him. We have to decide whether the cost is appropriate for what we will have to try and add to the team and what we have to strengthen in all areas of the pitch."
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